Clamping device

ABSTRACT

A spring clamp hand tool is formed from a pair of pivotal members each having a handle end and a clamping end. When together the clamping ends form an elongate narrow, rectangular body having a recess disposed transversely therethrough to receive a protruding portion of a workpiece. Planar clamping faces forward of the recess are equipped with channels extending obliquely and longitudinally of the tool. A spring biases the clamping faces into clamping contact.

United States Patent 11 1 [111 3,808,915 Bonnel, Sr. May 7, 1974CLAMPING DEVICE 632,792 9/1899 Schmidt .1 7/1 M Inventor: Arthur Jo nBonnel St" R o, 1,367,362 2/192] Earnhart 81/425 R PrimaryExaminer-James L. Jones, Jr. [73] Assignee: Digitec, lnc., Reno, Nev.Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Flehr, Ho'hbach, Test, Al- 22 Filed: Sept. 8,1972 Herbert [211 App]. No.1 287,496 [57] ABSTRACT I A spring clamp handtool is formed from a pair of piv- 52 us. (:1. 111/54 R, 7/4, 8l/425 Rotal members each having a handle end and a p- 51 Int. Cl. B2511 7/00,B25b 7/02 ing When together the clamping ends form an [58] Field ofSearch 7/1 1-1, 1 M, 4; 8l/5.l, elongate narrow, rectangular ody havinga recess dis- 31 425 R, 425 A, 427 posed transversely therethr'ough toreceive a protrud- I ing portion of a workpiece. Planar clamping facesfor- [56] Refer n Cit d ward of the recess are equipped with channelsextend- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing obliquely and longitudinally of thetool. A spring 2,934,983 5/1960 Daggitt 81/425 R the clampmg faces mmclampmg Contact 942,549 12/1909 Cronk 81/425 R 3 Claims, 6 DrawingFigures CLAMPING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The presentinvention relates to tools and is particularly directed to aspring-clamp hand tool useful for fishermen.

The handling of fishhooks, particularly those in the smaller sizes,requires a fairly high level of manual dexterity. A person with thickfingers can be expected to have difficulty manipulating a small hook aswould'a person with chilled hands from fishing in cold waters or duringthe cold season of the year. Similarly, a person who fishes infrequentlycould not be expected to have the same dexterity in handling fishhooksas would a person who fishes regularly several times a week.

Two other aspects of handling fishhooks deserve attention. The first isthe difficulty encountered when baiting a hook with salmon eggs orsimilar bait. The bait, which is slippery and of small size, frequentlysquirts out of the hands during the hook baiting operation. Secondly,theremoval of a hook from the fishs mouth can in many instances bedangerous to the fisherman and often times is quitedestructive to thefish should the fisherman be required by size limits to throw the fishback into the water. Seemingly, a prevalent practice has been for thefisherman to manipulate or yank the hook from the fishs spiny jaws so asto avoid any contact with the fishs teeth. Many times portions of thefishs mouth or other portions of the head are damaged destroying whatlater could be a valuable game fish for another fisherman.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this inventionto provide a hand tool for fishermen to facilitate grasping fishhooks ina manner such that the tool and hook will move as a unit therebypermitting ready manipulation of the hook, such as for baiting, linetying and hook removal operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the typedescribed which is adapted both for mounting the hook in a position forbaiting and for receiving the'hook in a position for its removalfrom themouth of the fish or for tying the line.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hand tool forfishermen which may be easily and readily manipulated when the hands arecold or otherwise difficult to manipulate.

Further objects of the present invention will appear from the drawingsand full description below.

In summary the invention comprises a clamping toolhaving two arms, eacharm having a clamping end and a handle end. The arms are pivotallyinterconnected proximate the clamping end and spring means are providedbetween the arms to bias the clamping ends into clamping engagement. Theclamping ends of the two arms form an elongate rectangular bodyextending from the pivot means, the body having a recess extendinglaterally therethrough. The clamping ends forward of the recess havegenerally planar, contacting clamping faces, and a gripping channel isformed on said faces longitudinally on said tool opening into saidrecess. Second gripping channels are provided on said clamping facesextending obliquely therealong.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the tool of the present inventionin one manner of its optimum use.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred form of clampingtool 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown inFIG. 1. Generally, the clamping tool 10 comprises two lever arms 11 and12, pivotally joined proximate the forward ends, and a spring 13 forurging the arms into the closed position, as shown in FIG. 1. The armsmay be constructed of mild steel with a protective coating, stainlesssteel, or of a suitable synthetic material such as fiber glassreinforced phenolic resin.

More specifically, each lever arm 11 and 12 is preferably of generallyrectangular, solid cross section (FIG. 2) and includes a handle end 14and a clamping or jaw end 16. The clamping end 16 is generally elongateand rectangular in form, of solid construction, and extends forwardlyfrom a pivot pin 17. This pin passes through the two arms whicharerecessed to half their thickness in a zone 18, and the ends of the pinareoverturned to permanently hold the arms in theirassembled position.The spring 13 includes two extensions 19 and 21 which engage theinnersurfaces of lever arm handle ends 14 to be received in a recess 22therein. The spring also includes one or more coil segments 23 and thecoil segments acting with the extensions 19 and 21 are effectivetotransmit the forces of the spring outwardly to the handles causing theclamping portions 16 to converge and apply pressure between theirrespective working faces 26.

The jaw end 16 of each of the arms is provided with v a clamping face 26(FIG. 5) which is substantially planar so that when the jaws are in theclosed position the faces 26 engage. The clamping faces 26 extendforwardly on the arms from a recess 27 which extends laterally throughthe arms defining a generally rectilinear opening, one half of theopening being in each of the two arms. The forward wall 25 of the recessis perpendicular to the clamping faces thus providing a shoulder forsecurely retaining the eye 31 of the hook within the recess. Theclamping portion of the tool intermediate the pivot pin and recess 27 isconstructed so that the confronting faces 28 (FIG. 1 do not contact sothat all of the clamping force is applied forwardly of the recess uponthe clamping faces 26.

Preferably, one of the two clamping faces 26 is provided with a channel29 of semicircular or Vee-shaped cross section (FIG. 5) to accommodatethe shank of a fishhook 30 or the like, as illustrated in phantom linesof FIG. 5, so as to afford positive position of the hook and tool. Thechannel 29 extends between the front of the clamping end to the recess27 so that the eye portion 37 of the hook may be accommodated within therecess as shown.

Obliquely arranged channels 31 and 32 of semicircular or Vee-shapedcross section are arranged extending from the front of the clampingportion to the side thereof. This arrangement is especially useful forgrasping fishhooks and the like in a positively defined position such aswhen working from the side of the tool as in threading line into thehook eye 37 or when the tool is used in removing the hook from the mouthof the fish. The channels 29, 31 and 32 alternatively may be arranged ineach face'26 in registered, confronting relation, the channels beingsized to permit firm holding of the wire fishhook.

Referring to FIG. 1, one of the two arms along its handle end isprovided with a measuring scale such as the one to three inch scaleshown at 33 to enable the fisherman to estimate the size of the fish athand. Further, the end portion of of the arm is provided with awedge-shaped tip 34 so that the tool-may also function efficiently inprying and twisting operations such as inserting screws or prying lidsfrom cans, or the like.

One of the arms 14 is equipped with a hole 36 for holding or mountingthe tool when not in use such as mounting it upon a nail or to receive alooped lanyard therethrough for carrying the tool upon the fishermanswrist.

When using a clamping tool of the present invention the operator pressesthe two handle ends 14 together, as indicated by the arrows 38 (FIG. 1),separating the clamping faces 26. The clamping tool. is then advanced tograsp a fishhook which may be taken from a box. The hook is graspedalong the shank so that the eye seats within the recess 27 (see FIG. Theclamp handles are then released and the spring 13 forces the clampingfaces firmly against or towards one another so that the shank of thehook is received within the channel 29 and held therein by the opposingclamping forces. In this condition the hook and the tool function as aunit and may be handled as such, such as when in- Setting the hook andprotruding nose portion thereof into a narrow-mouthed jar 39 full offish eggs 41, as illustrated in FIG. 6. It will be understood that theeggs are slippery and small in diameter but because the hook may bemanipulated with the tool it is, not difficult to impale the eggs uponthe tyned end of the hook while holding the jar in the hands. It will beappreciated that the size of the recess 27 is such that to accommodatethe eye of the hook having a-line entwined thereabouts withoutinterfering with the clamping action. The

shoulder provided by the recess wall 25 negates the camming tendency ofthe circular hookeye to urge the jaws apart when strong tugging forcesare applied to the hook.

From the above description of the general principles of the presentinvention, and the foregoing detailed description of the drawings, thoseskilled in the art will readily comprehend the various modifications towhich the invention is susceptible. For example, while there is shown aspring having elongated extensions for applying pressure to converge thejaw, the spring could be replaced by a coil spring compressed betweenhandle end portions 14 of the lever arm.

It will also be understood that while the clamping tool has beendescribed in conjunction with the use by fishermen, it has great utilityfor clamping small work pieces together such as when gluing or welding.

I claim:

1. A clamping tool sized to fit the hand for working within narrowspaces and for holding a slender object having an enlargement at oneend, the clamping tool comprising two arms, each of said arms having aclamppendicular therewith and serving as a shoulder deterring withdrawalof the enlarged end from said recess, a gripping channel serving togrippingly engage such slender object being arranged centrally in saidfaces and extending longitudinally of said tool and opening into saidrecess wall, at least one second gripping channel on said clamping facesand arranged to open at one end of the front of said body and at theother end at the side thereof, and spring means reacting between thehandle ends of said arms biasing said clamping faces normally into aclamping condition.

said clamping ends forward of said recess are biased,

into clamping engagement by said spring means.

I? l t

1. A clamping tool sized to fit the hand for working within narrowspaces and for holding a slender object having an enlargement at oneend, the clamping tool comprising two arms, each of said arms having aclamping end and a handle end, means pivotally connecting said armsproximate said clamping end, the clamping ends of said arms forming anelongate, rectangular body extending forwardly from said pivot means,said body having a recess extending laterally therethrough serving tocontain the enlarged end of such object, said clamping ends forward ofsaid recess having generally planar contacting, clamping faces, a wallof said recess intersecting said faces being arranged generallyperpendicular therewith and serving as a shoulder deterring withdrawalof the enlarged end from said recess, a gripping channel serving togrippingly engage such slender object being arranged centrally in saidfaces and extending longitudinally of said tool and opening into saidrecess wall, at least one second gripping channel on said clamping facesand arranged to open at one end of the front of said body and at theother end at the side thereof, and spring means reacting between thehandle ends of said arms biasing said clamping faces normally into aclamping condition.
 2. The clamping tool of claim 1 wherein saidgripping channels are arranged exclusively in one of said two clampingfaces.
 3. The clamping tool of claim 1 wherein said rectangular body isso constructed such that only portions of said clamping ends forward ofsaid recess are biased into clamping engagement by said spring means.